The Inspiration for My Love of Reading

I’ve loved reading for as long as I can remember, but there are certain books and authors that have just stuck with me, no matter how old I get or how many times I read them. This page is pretty much a shout-out to those favorite authors and books that have only made my love of reading stronger with each passing year.

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Writers:

C.S. Lewis

My main man, C.S. Lewis will probably always top this list. His Chronicles of Narnia were my favorite books growing up, and are still among my favorites to this day. King Edmund the Just was my first literary crush, and Narnia was the first world outside of my own that I fell in love with. Also, I’ve read/listened to The Voyage of the Dawn Treader so many times, I could just about recite it for you. Even beyond his written works, his views of literature and language in general are among the things that inspired my love of language, and I could probably go on about him forever.

J.R.R. Tolkien

I started reading Tolkien when I was in third grade. My older brother borrowed The Hobbit from the library, and I kind of stole it from him. So it should come as no surprise that anybody who’s known me for more than a day can probably tell you I’m a HUGE Lord of the Rings and Middle-Earth fan. So much so that, when I was in college, I actually took a class where all we read was Tolkien: some of his poetry, his short stories, The Silmarillion, and The Lord of the Rings all in one semester

Sarah Kay

Sarah Kay is a spoken word poet, and her book, No Matter the Wreckage, is my go-to whenever I’m feeling down. She has a way with words that, even if the topic of a poem is sad, is just very refreshing and lifts the spirits. If you’re looking for a book that’ll introduce you to the poetry world, I would definitely read her book, or check out her poems on Youtube.

 

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Books:

These are books that, at one time or another, have made me fall even more in love with reading. They’re in no particular order.

Keturah and Lord Death by Martine Leavitt is pretty much a historically fictional romance with one slight fantasy twist. It was the first book I ever borrowed from my high school’s library and features a young storyteller during the years of the Black Plague.

 

 

Fire by Kristin Cashore is a fantasy novel where monsters are beautiful creatures that can enter the minds of their prey. Technically Book 2 in the Graceling Realm series, it was the first of her books I had read. For the record, I really liked Graceling, too, I just happened to read Fire first and loved it a teensy bit more.

 

The Throne of Glass series by Sarah J Maas has one of my all-time favorite female protagonists. As the main character for this YA Fantasy series, Celaena Sardothien is a super-spy intelligent assassin, who still keeps a good deal of her femininity, and isn’t without flaws. This series follows her in her quest to find a home she thought she lost. I’m afraid if I say more the spoilers will appear everywhere.

 

1984 by George Orwell is a pretty well-known dystopian classic that explores ideas of self-hood, government, and censoring. The last sentence of this novel will probably give me chills until the day I die. If you’ve ever heard anyone mention “Big Brother,” they were referencing this novel.

 

Last, but certainly not least, is Lament by Maggie Stiefvater. This urban fantasy is the first in its series, and is full of Celtic mythology, looking at the impact human art and music has on the Fae. When the Faerie Queen hears of Dierdre Monaghan’s music, she worries it will threaten her sovereignty, and sends her best assassins to deal with the issue. Soon Dierdre and her best friend are pulled into a world they never knew existed, and one that is already trying to kill them. This book is a little love-triangle-y, but is still a great read.

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What are some of the books/authors that have kept you reading? What are your comfort books, or the one you would recommend to everyone? Let me know in the comments below!